diff --git a/src/arch/x86/exception.c b/src/arch/x86/exception.c
index 224f0e1d41..e21cfa6de5 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/exception.c
+++ b/src/arch/x86/exception.c
@@ -665,6 +665,8 @@ asmlinkage void exception_init(void)
 
 	load_idt(idt, sizeof(idt));
 
+#if !ENV_SMM
 	null_breakpoint_init();
 	stack_canary_breakpoint_init();
+#endif
 }
diff --git a/src/cpu/x86/smm/smm_module_handler.c b/src/cpu/x86/smm/smm_module_handler.c
index d25b5f47cf..d9f64204d6 100644
--- a/src/cpu/x86/smm/smm_module_handler.c
+++ b/src/cpu/x86/smm/smm_module_handler.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /* SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-only */
 
 #include <arch/io.h>
+#include <arch/exception.h>
 #include <commonlib/region.h>
 #include <console/cbmem_console.h>
 #include <console/console.h>
@@ -169,6 +170,9 @@ asmlinkage void smm_handler_start(void *arg)
 
 	printk(BIOS_SPEW, "\nSMI# #%d\n", cpu);
 
+	if (CONFIG(DEBUG_SMI) && CONFIG(CONSOLE_SERIAL))
+		exception_init();
+
 	/* Allow drivers to initialize variables in SMM context. */
 	if (do_driver_init) {
 #if CONFIG(SPI_FLASH_SMM)